Relations Between Employability and Graduation Modalities: A Data Analysis Case of Ecuadorian University

This study analyzes the successful employability of graduates from the Salesian Polytechnic University of Ecuador (UPS) related to their graduation modalities. In 2016, due to a new national law, students who finish their study plan can obtain their degree through capstone-project execution or take an entire career exam. From 2021 to 2023 UPS has graduated 6294 students, and using a representative sample of degree students our study applied a survey about employability. The findings reveal that students who graduated through the capstone project-based modality had significantly higher immediate employability rates, with a significant advantage over those who completed the entire career exam. While employability after three months was similar for both groups, graduates who completed the entire career exam were more likely to be unemployed in their field of study. Our main conclusion is that capstone project-based graduation fosters the development of essential soft and technical skills, enhancing graduates’ competitiveness in the labor market. The study underscores the need for Ecuadorian higher education institutions to prioritize capstone project-based learning as a graduation mechanism to improve graduate employability.